Eldath
Eldath (pronounced "el-dath" 2), also known as The Green Goddess or Mother Guardian of Groves, was a lake spirit3who acted as the guardian of groves and watersheds, her presence was felt wherever there was calm. She was a pacifist who avoided hostile action, even if threatened. Although shy, quiet and enigmatic, Eldath was possessed of unknown depths of character and unexpressed resolve that could not be broken. Eldath protected rivers, streams, and druids' groves; her dogma was pacifistic, and her followers only resorted to violence in defense of themselves, of their friends and loved ones, and of pools and groves. She was regarded as a goddess of serenity, comfort, and healing. Any waters blessed by her were known to cure sickness and madness. They could also calm the dying giving them peace and a natural passing. Many rural communities have a designated pond or glade which serves as a holy site for local parishioners.These places were traditionally used as places to reflect and meditate. Usually a body of water (either the pond itself or a stream near those glades considered holy sites) serves as a repository for offerings to Eldath in connection with these holy places. But, when no water is near a special tree or bush is designated as a repository to which offerings are tied to its branches. Offerings are typically weapons broken so they can never be used again, or an item that caused an argument and must be discarded to promote peace. 4 Worshipers Eldathyns were organized into a simplistic hierarchy, where priests reported to a local high priest responsible for a realm or larger region. Most followers dwelt in quiet forest communities with open-air sacred places of worship or in woodside cottages, far from the baseness of city life; both often containing pools of placid water in unspoiled areas. They rarely ever engaged in open confrontation and always acted subtly and peacefully.[citation needed] Druids of Eldath prayed for their evocations once per day at a time selected after great personal reflection. The only calendar-related holy day of the church was the Greening, a gathering and festival celebrated at Greengrass. It was preceded by the Firstflow, a festival held at varying times when the ice broke up and began to flow at the conclusion of winter.[citation needed] Worshipers of Eldath tended to be chaotic good, chaotic neutral, or neutral good.[citation needed] Many people came to Eldath for help in overcoming memories of a violent past, sometimes a single event that affected them but it could also have been an accumulation of battles fought by the individual.4 Her clergy often followed migratory patterns traveling from holy site to holy site in a local area. They took care of the holy sites, and allied with the local druids who followed the First Circle of which Eldath was considered a member. Violence of any kind against Eldathan priests was considered taboo, and any who killed one were followed by a great cloud of misfortune. In any event, a priest would go to great lengths to avoid conflict, and would happily preside over peaceful meetings and witness political treaties of peace. Also, they never tried to forcibly stop others from fighting in melee, as that would defeat the purpose of their doctrine.4 Relationships Eldath considered Mielikki a sister and together with her she served Silvanus loyally, even if she did find him at times intimidating. She had close relationships with Chauntea, Selûne, and Lathander, as they shared some common interests.[citation needed] Eldath and Mielikki were known to kill people who led fire in the High Forest.5 Although Eldath opposed all that Tempus stood for, she did not consider him a personal foe. He in turn considered her naïve, but generally ignored her. However Tempus forbade his followers from harming Eldath's faithful, upon pain of punishment in the afterlife in his divine realm, Warrior's Rest. The punishments of Tempus always involved stripping the guilty party of the immortality normally granted to his petitioners before turning the soul loose upon the eternal battlefield of the plane, to be killed by his fellows, so this commandment was strictly adhered to. Malar and his followers recentlyof when? made intrusions on the goddess' sacred pools, Eldath responded to this with her usual calm manner, and simply withdrew, certain that the Beastlord would over-extend himself soon enough.[citation needed] Category:Dieties